TradeWinds Wavelength - a weekly shipping news show

Hosted by Craig Eason

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135

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Regular updates on the top stories in the shipping industry from the editoral team of leading maritime news outlet TradeWinds. Hosted and produced by Craig Eason and the TradeWinds editorial team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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October 23, 202625 min

Bull markets and red flags

In this week's episode of the Wavelength podcast: TradeWinds' China correspondent Huaqing Ma brings back all the hottest talking points from Pudong Maritime Week in Shanghai. Turns out super-strong markets are raising 'red flags' for financiers and concerns over how much longer the good times can last. Read more: Chinese ship financiers flush with deals as threats lurk on the horizon Read more: ‘New price paradigm’: Cheap newbuildings may never return, shipowner warns Read more: ‘We can’t just switch overnight’: IMO chief makes case for LNG Tanker rates appear to have become unsustainably high. Matt Coyne is here to talk about what might realistically bring them down – and what probably won’t. Read more: Crude reality: moving barrel of oil now costs more than hauling tonne of iron ore Read more: Chinese oil buyers tipped to be cautious amid high costs and freight Read more: Trump sanctions plan sends ‘wrong signal’ to mainstream tanker owners, says Intertanko Read more: BRS and Clarksons join doubts over US tanker waiver Japan usually takes a progressive stance at the International Maritime Organization, but a green legal firm has slammed Japan’s latest proposal for an alternative net-zero framework for decarbonising shipping. Opportunity Green has published a critique. Read more: Japan’s new net-zero proposal slammed as a compromise too far And we have a clip from this week’s episode of Wavelength Plus, in which Craig Eason looks at the role of venture capital in maritime tech. This is also the first-ever video episode of Wavelength Plus, linked below. (The audio version is available as usual on all good podcast platforms.) Read more: Lifting the lid on the world of maritime venture capital Host and producer: Holly Birkett. Additional reporting or research: Matt Coyne, Huaqing Ma, Craig Eason and Yannick Guerry. A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 16, 202638 min

The impact of softening US sanctions on tanker rates

In this week's episode: The potential impact of US easing sanctions on tanker rates is under scrutiny. Kpler tanker analyst Matt Wright is in the Wavelength studio to assess the impact of the Trump administration's latest move to get Russian diesel, whether it is a domestic ploy ahead of mid-term elections, and whether it will impact Gulf tanker rates. Read more: Dark fleet hurdles cloud Trump’s plan to ease tanker sanctions Read more: Red-hot crude rates will not become new normal, says Kpler One company benefiting from positive markets is BlueYield, a Stockholm-listed investment house focused on stakes in vessel-focused Special Purpose Vehicles. BlueYield chief executive Jonas Kamstedt talks to host Craig Eason about the investment strategy, timing, markets, and which segment may be the next big one. Read more: Swedish shipping investor proposes extraordinary dividend as strategy pays off Read more: Shipping investor bets on offshore and multipurpose vessels Four former MOL gas carriers that changed hands to a Novatek-linked firm and are heading into the Russian Arctic. TradeWinds's LNG correspondent Lucy Hine has been tracking the vessels, and digging into the owner and potential sanctions risks of a growing ice-class LNG carrier fleet, with some vessels still at the newbuilding yard. Read more: Prices paid by Russia’s Novatek for MOL’s LNG quartet emerge as ships head for Arctic The European Union is set to reveal its revamp of the bloc's emissions trading system in the coming months, and shipping is in the mix. While the update is one of a regular set of updates Brussels carries out to keep the ETS relevant and in line with its green strategies, it will include proposals to help shipowners use green fuels. The problem, according to European Shipowners secretary-general Sotiris Raptis, is that the proposal does not send positive change signals to shipowners. Read more: EU proposals on ETS amendments fail to send right signals to European shipowners Read more: ETS revamp could see millions pumped into European shipping Host and producer: Craig Eason Additional reporting or research: Lucy Hine, Yannick Guerry, Jonas Wahlsgard, Matt Coyne A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 9, 202627 min

Uncovering the story of the Settebello

In this week’s Wavelength. TradeWinds correspondent Paul Peachey has been uncovering what happened on the tanker Settebello before and after it was attacked by US forces in the Middle East in the summer. This is the story of the families of three crew members who were killed struggling to get answers and get the compensation they say they deserve. The story comes in a week of an unprecedented number of attacks on ships and crews in the Black Sea and Middle East. Read more: Final mobile messages reveal fears of seafarers killed in US missile attack Read more: Bulgaria stops search for missing seafarers after Russia strikes four Turkish ships Read more: Greek tanker ablaze off Russia in Ukrainian sea drone strike Matt Coyne and Irene Ang discuss events in the car carrier market as key carmakers in China order their own ships again and Norway’s Wallenius Wilhelmsen raises cash to fund another fleet expansion programme. Read more: Chinese auto giants line up $2.5bn haul to drive car carrier orders to new record Read more: Wallenius Wilhelmsen completes $300m share sale amid talk for up to 12 newbuildings Host and producer: Craig Eason Additional reporting: Yannick Guerry, Matt Coyne, Irene Ang and Paul Peachey A TradeWinds/DN Media Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 2, 202628 min

Tankers at the top?

In this week’s episode: TradeWinds’ tanker correspondent, Matt Coyne, is in the studio to unravel yet more superlatives about the crude markets as geopolitics and turmoil feed into rocketing rates. Read more: Oslo-listed VLCC giants sitting on $2bn in paper profit on newbuildings Read more: ‘Extraordinary’ tanker boom could last through next year, says Clarksons Was it hacked or is there a disinformation campaign? We look at new cyber rules, an attempt to exaggerate a cyber hack on a ship and just how difficult it is in the cyber resilience market. Read more: Is there a cyber disinformation campaign targeting shipping? Holly Birkett is in the studio with the monthly edition of Granular, our regular look at a key area in the dry bulk market. Read more: Fertiliser will lose out to copper industry as sulphur shortage shifts trade flows Host and producer: Craig Eason Additional reporting: Matt Coyne, Holly Birkett, Yannick Guerry A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 25, 202629 min

The Trafigura VLCC IPO

In this week’s podcast: Trafigura is bringing its VLCC tanker division, now called Volare Shipping, to the Oslo Stock Exchange with a planned IPO. Lucy Hine joins host Craig Eason to talk through the listing and how the tanker market has reacted. Read more: Trafigura launches $500m Oslo IPO for new VLCC spin-off Volare Shipping Read more: Volare Shipping sells $500m new shares boosting value to $1.2bn ahead of IPO Read more: Trafigura banks $38m profit on sale of product tanker pair The International Union of Marine Insurance held its annual gathering in Rotterdam this week. TradeWinds risk correspondent Paul Peachey talks to new IUMI president Sean Dalton and discusses key issues around the state of the insurance markets, war, chokepoints and the risks of car batteries. Read more: The open-and-shut Hormuz case gives war risk insurers the jitters Read more: Hull underwriters hit by rising costs and war losses Read more: Idle ships in Gulf pose threat for maritime insurers when they start moving Host and producer: Craig Eason Additional reporting: Yannick Guerry, Lucy Hine and Paul Peachey A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 18, 202628 min

Riding shipping's highest-ever rate wave

In this week's Wavelength podcast. The spoils of war are revealed as listed shipping companies announce profits and dividends as charter rates continue to climb skywards. Any Pierce talks to host Craig Eason about the trends and how it could scare some investors off. Read more: War drives shipping’s biggest ever bull run as rates smash records Read more: Public shipowners shower $3.24bn in dividends on investors in peak quarter Read more: Record tanker markets scare off shipping investors The Houthis have made ground in broadening their reach and posing even more of a threat to Red Sea merchant traffic. Eric Priante Martin has been looking at the impact of the 'merchants of chaos'. Read more: ‘Merchants of chaos’: Experts say Houthis not likely to limit targets to Saudi ships after land grab Read more: US officials reportedly met with Houthis after advance to Bab el-Mandeb Strait And TradeWinds gas correspondent Lucy Hine has spent the week at Gastech in Bangkok getting a feel for the latest mood in the markets. Read more: LNG supply unlikely to catch up with sector’s fleet growth until late 2028, Vortexa says Read more: Exmar stays hungry for FSRU business as company builds on its specialisms Host and production: Craig Eason Additional reporting: Yannick Guerry, Andy Pierce, Lucy Hine, Eric Priante Martin. A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 11, 202627 min

The Gulf crisis could be so much worse

This week's podcast comes from Oslo OCean Days where regional and international shipowners convened to talk about the Gulf situation, market disruption and optimism about international talks to find a climate deal for shipping. We hear from Alexander Saverys, chief executive, CMB.Tech, Andreas Enger, boss of Hoegh Autoliners and Hing Chao, chairman, Wah Kong. Read more: Economic cracks showing as Strait of Hormuz chaos sends oil price soaring Read more: Shipowners philosophically against chokepoint tolls will pay them anyway Read more: ‘In a falling tide, you see who has been swimming naked.’ Major shipowners ready for downturn Sveinung Oftedal, chair of the closed door IMO climate talks explains hy he is optimisitic that all sides of the net zero impasse will agree on a new deal And we have a snippet from the closing speech of Leif Hoegh, chairman of Hoegh Autoliners and board member Hoegh Evi with some philosophical thoughts as his family business closes in on its centenary Read and listen more: Leif Hoegh: ‘If you do not take any risks, you do not learn anything’ Host and producer: Craig Eason Additional editorial from: Julian Bray, Paul Peachey, Yannick Guerry A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 4, 202631 min

Can the IMO do more for shipping in the Gulf?

In this episode: Hard talk from Arsenio Dominguez as 6,000 seafarers remain trapped in the Gulf as resolutions over Hormuz wanes. The conversation was part of the recent TradeWinds Shipowner Forum Hamburg during SMM. Listen to more on the Wavelength Plus podcast China's shipbuilders seek closer relationship with European owners as country urges green transition. Read more: CSSC chairman courts European shipowners as Chinese shipyard giant pushes green agenda Meanwhile India shipbuilder Chowgule wins order for ultra green emissions free bulkers as its growing orders for hybrid and green ships grows. Read more: Indian yard scores big wins in small ship deals And Everllence boss Dr Uwe Lauber opens up about the future of shipping's biggest engine maker now it has US private equity giant Bain as major owner. Read more: Volkswagen sells ship engine business to private equity firm in $8.4bn deal Listen to more on the Wavelength Plus podcast Produced and hosted: Craig Eason Additional editorial input: Julian Bray, Holly Birkett Yannick Guerry A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 28, 202636 min

Getting under the lid of German shipowning

In this week's episode: As the shipping industry descends on Hamburg for the week, Ian Lewis discusses the shape of Germany's shipowning community and what lessons it has learned. Read more: Can Hapag-Lloyd win Israel’s blessing for $4.2bn Zim takeover? Höegh Autoliners has ordered a further 12, with options, car carriers but has shied away from going all out on ammonia-dual fuel as it did with the latter vessels of its previous batch. Car carrier boss Andreas Enger is in the studio to defend its decision and explain why. Read more: Hoegh Autoliners returns to China for six new car carriers Oman has been in the news as geopolitical tensions and shipping attacks in the Strait of Hormuz make our headlines. TradeWinds correspondent Huaqing Ma talked with Oman Maritime Association chairman Khalil Al Hooti about how Oman is adapting and the big question about a Strait of Hormuz toll. Read more: How the Hormuz crisis is exposing Oman’s wider role in maritime trades And Holly Birkett's Granular looks at the growing issues around maritime choke points. Read more: Godzilla El Nino will bite grain yields and Panama Canal water levels Producer and host: Craig Eason Additional reporting: Holly Birkett, Ian Lewis, Huaqing Ma and Yannick Guerry A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 21, 202623 min

Mutiny and fear in the Gulf

In this week's podcast: The number of fatalities and injuries in attacks on shipping increases as warring factions ignore calls to stop attacks on innocent seafarers. Fears lead captain and crew on one vessel to mutiny against calls to leave port and head through the Strait of Hormuz. Gary Dixon looks at the latest events. Read more: ' Strait of death’ voyage order sparks seafarer revolt Read more: ‘My leg was hanging on by the skin’: Russian captain tells of 24-hour ordeal after Houthi ship strike It's all change at the Baltic Exchange as its long-standing chief executive Mark Jackson announces his retirement and his successor is announced. Holly Birkett looks at the latest developments at the Baltic Exchange and whether it is keeping pace with change Read more: Trial and transition as the Baltic Exchange tussles with tradition And we reveal our 7th Guiding Star Evangelos Efstathiou , owner at Marsoft, as we continue to reveal a total of 10 finalists before a final winner is revealed at the end of the year Read more: He bought his old boss’ company. Now Evangelos Efstathiou is betting on AI Host and producer: Craig Eason Additional reporting: Gary Dixon, Holly Birkett, Yannick Guerry A TradeWinds/DN Media podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.